Daejeon Hana Citizens are slowly turning the tide. On April 30, Daejeon drew 0-0 with Gimcheon Commerce in the 10th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium. The team faced a difficult match against ‘leaders’ Gimcheon, but held on for a valuable point. Daejeon, unbeaten in three matches (W1 D2 L2), now has 10 points (W2 D4 L4). They are in the bottom half of the table, but with only five points separating them from fourth-placed Suwon FC (15 points), they can climb to the top with one more win.
Daejeon was a crisis. They had only one point from their previous seven matches. They had fallen to the bottom of the table. The team’s plans were disrupted at the beginning of the season by the sudden departure of ‘core defender’ Cho Yoo-min to the Middle East, followed by a series of injuries to key resources in the changed tactics. 바카라사이트 A whopping six of the team’s best 11 players, including ‘captain’ Lee Sun-min, Koo Teck, Kang Yoon-sung, and Kim Jun-bum, left the team.
Lee fought back with gum, and found a way.
On defense, the team had an injury-free central defense line. He brought back Kim Hyun-woo, who had lost out in the initial competition for the starting role. He played a variation of the three-back card, utilizing Lee Jung-taek as the centerpiece of Anton-Kim Hyun-woo. When Lee moved to the right side, it was converted to a four-back. With Kim Hyun-woo adding stability in the center, the defensive organization was noticeably better. With youth product Lee Jun-kyu energizing the midfield with a tremendous amount of activity and “veteran” Joo Se-jong looking rejuvenated and not losing the midfield battle, Daejeon’s defense shined even more.
As a result, Daejeon has conceded just one goal in their last three matches. This is a 180-degree turnaround from the 10 goals conceded in the previous seven games. Against Gimcheon, they were able to fight equally well against their opponent’s powerful offense and Hurrijin. It’s unfortunate that the goals aren’t coming, but at least they’re not conceding more goals.
In the 2023 season, Daejeon suffered from defensive insecurity.
They scored 56 goals, the third-most in the league behind Ulsan and Seoul (63), but conceded 58 goals and failed to qualify for the Final A. This was second only to Suwon FC, who conceded 76 goals. Lee has been working hard this season to improve the defense, and it’s paying off. With only 11 goals conceded in 10 games, they are ranked fourth in fewest goals allowed.
Daejeon’s defense has been the key to their rebound, but the final piece of the puzzle is goals. With nine goals this season, Daejeon is scoring less than one goal per game. For a coach who emphasizes attacking soccer, 사설 토토사이트 the current goal-scoring form is disappointing. “In difficult times, we need to score in one or two chances and get results. We need to work on our lack of detail at the end,” he said. If the injured players return in May as scheduled and the offense regains its strength, Daejeon could move up the table even faster.